A 6-year-old girl is dead following an accident Friday morning at Lake Pleasant where she was  struck by a boat propeller that severed a leg,  according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

"We're going to call this a tragic accident," an MCSO spokesman said of incident that occurred about 11 a.m. July 28.

A group of 12 people from two families were on the boat since 7 a.m., according to MCSO. About four hours later, a 911 dispatcher received a call from a parent that their 6-year-old daughter was struck by their boat’s propeller. 

“Witnesses at the scene confirmed that the child’s mother was operating the boat when she began to drive and, unbeknownst to the family, the child had somehow entered the water,” MCSO officials said in a release.

The father of the child was in the water holding onto a wakeboard when he noticed someone in the water and swam to the child, authorities said.

“He and the mother quickly realized their daughter was in the water and had suffered a leg amputation from the boat’s propeller.”

The girl was taken to the lake marina by her family, where MCSO deputies and fire personnel met them and began rendering aid to the child who was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Deputies said there were 12 adults and children on the boat at the time of the incident, and all were wearing life vests.

Impairment does not appear to be a factor as MCSO detectives continue to investigate, according to the release.  

"We're talking a tragic accident here," the spokesman said.